Submission Date

7-22-2022

Document Type

Paper

Department

Theater

Faculty Mentor

Shannon Zura

Comments

Presented during the 24th Annual Summer Fellows Symposium, July 22, 2022 at Ursinus College.

The main downloadable file consists of a reflective essay, research and annotated bibliography.

Supplemental files include a slide presentation and Vectorworks drawings.

Project Description

How can we design queer plays in a way that acknowledges challenging content and celebrates queer theater history? How does a set designer use the research on a play’s challenging content and its historical relevance to influence the design and aid in telling the story? What are the tools and processes indispensable to a scenic designer’s creative process? Answers to all of these questions are the goal of my project, where I am exploring the queer plays of 1920s’ playwright Mae West and designing the set for her play The Pleasure Man through a modern queer lens. As a queer person, I believe our history is invaluable because it was ignored for so long. It means a lot to see that queer people did exist and always have. Designing a play with which I emotionally connect allows me to look at my own history and understand it more deeply. Doing a historical show is also an educational challenge as a new designer, because crucial research must be done about the time period in order to accurately represent a time in which we no longer live. My finished products will include an annotated bibliography, a ground plan, section views, elevations, 3-D renderings, detail drawings, architectural scale model, paint elevations, a props list, and a reflection paper.

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